Trip for automatic gates.



PATENTED SEPT. 11, 1906.

0. HOOKER.

- TRIP FOR AUTOMATIC GATES.

APPLIGATION FILED JUNE 26, 1906.

animal's-a 2 SHEETSSEEET 1.

wihmooea A M WM RS can, wAsnmcnN. u. c.

PATENTED SEPT. 11, 1906.

0. HOOKER. TRIP FOR AUTOMATIC GATES.

APIfLIOATION FILED JUNE 26. 1908.

2 SHEETSSHBET 2.

fm WM l vi in ease:

attoznug PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES HOCKER, OF RUSHVILLE, INDIANA.

TRIP FOR AUTOMATIC GATES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 11, 1906.

Application filed-Tune 26,1906. SerialNo. 323,430-

To all whom it may concern:

, Be it known that 1, CHARLES HOOKER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Rushville, in the county of Rush and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Trip for Automatic Gates; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to mechanism for operating automatic gates for railway-crossings, and is in response to the action of the examiner inthe application filed February 24, 1906, Serial No. 302,756, requiring a separate application for this case.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the gate with the trips only on one side of the track. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of one of the trips. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the weight-frame and the gate-standard with the weight lowered. Fig. 4 is a front elevation. of the weight-frame with the weight elevated.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 indicates a gate-standard to be supported upon one side of a road or street crossed by a railroad. Turning in brackets 31 on said standard 1 is a horizontal shaft 2, to which is rigidly secured the gate-arm 3. Also secured to the standard are buffers or leaf-springs 4, which are located in the path of an arm 5, extending laterally from the shaft 2 in a direction opposite the gate-arm, said arm being bifurcated at its free end and having a ball 6 pivoted on inturned ends of the members forming the bifurcation. This ball 6 is provided with a bore transverse to its turning axis, and in this bore slides a link 7, having a head 8 at its upper end and pivoted at its lower end to a weight 9, to be hereinafter described. Surrounding this link 7 and abutting on the ball 6 at its upper end and a flange 11 on the link at its lower end is a coil-spring 12, which serves as a cushion for transmitting the motion of the weight 9 to: the lateral arm 5, and consequently the gatearm 3.

' The weight 9, before mentioned, acts as a counterbalance for the gate-arm and is movable on vertical guides 13, positioned on a frame 14, mounted adjacent the gate-standard 1. Frame 14 has journaled thereon, one above the other, two shafts 15, each carrying a cam 16, both cams adapted to engage the under surface of the weight 9, the weight being provided with a roller 17 to reduce the friction. Also connected with each shaft is a vertical arm 18, to the opposite sides of which are pivoted links 19. pairs of these links which extend in opposite directions parallel with the track nearer the gate are connected pullbars 20, guided on rollers 21, mounted on brackets 22 along the track. At the other end of each pull-bar is pivoted a link 23, which is connected to the lower end of an angled or double-armed lever 24, pivoted within a slot in a trip-frame 25, located adjacent the outside track a short distance away from the crossing. This lever 24 carries a roller 26 at its upper end, said roller bearing on the under surface of a curved bar 27, projecting intermediate its ends through the slotted frame 25, pivoted at one end to the frame and having its other end bent downwardly at an angle to the main portion, as at 28. This downward extension 28 is positioned within a U-shaped bracket 29, depending from the frame and provided with a perforation in its bottom in which the extension works. A spring 30 surrounds the portion 28 and abuts on the lower portion of the bracket 29, this spring serving to return the bar 27 after it has been depressed in a manner hereinafter described.

The upper links 19 have the trips adjacent the opposite or second track connected thereto. For this purpose each link is pivoted to the end of an arm 33 on one end of a rockshaft 34, which extends below both tracks and has anarm 35 at its other end and a pullbar 20 being connected thereto and to a trip in the same manner as to the trips adjacent the opposite or first-mentioned tracks.

Each train is provided with a trip-operatin? device, which is in the form of aroller36, vertically adjustable in a Ushaped bracket 37 by means of a screw-rod 38, connected with a bracket 39, in which the roller 36 is journaled. This roller should be mounted on the engine in the rear and to one side of the fender, so that it may engage the curved bars 27 of the trips which are located on the outside of the tracks.

Before the first trip is reached the roller 36 is lowered, and as the latter reaches the former it rides on its b.r 27, depressing the same and causing the double-armed lever 24 to pull the bar 20, and consequently rotate one of the shafts 15. As a cam 16 is rigid therewith it is also rotated or swung upwardly into engagement with roller 17 or To the lower IIO weight 9, causing the weight to move upwardly and to transmit motion to the gate arm 3 through coil-spring 12, which is compressed, and lateral arm 5. The gate-arm, not having the weight to hold it elevated, also has its own weight to assist it in closing, its lower movement being cushioned by the upper buffer4 on standard 1.

The'cam 16 remains under the weight 9 until the train hasv passed the crossing, at which time the other trip on this side of the track is engaged. This trip causes the other pull-rod 20 to rotate the shaft 15 in the opposite direction and remove the cam from beneath the weight 9. I The Weight 9 together with the compressed spring 12 now cause the gate-arm to be elevated.

What I claim is 1. A device of the class described for automatically operating gates for railway-crossings, comprising a slotted frame, a curved barmou'nted in said frame, and adapted to operate in said slot, a U-shaped bracket secured to one end of said frame, a spring mounted in said U-shaped bracket and engagingone end of said curved bar, a doublearmed lever pivotally mounted in said slot, and adapted to be engaged by said curved bar, substantially as described.

2-. A trip for automatic gates, comprising a slotted frame, a curved bar projecting through said frame, and pivoted at one-end, a spring connected to the other end of said curved bar, and a double-armed lever piva oted within the slotted frame, and adapted to be engaged by saidbar.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

CHARLES HOOKER.

Witnesses:

ERNEST B. THoMAs, FRANK HOOKER. 

